Agricultural biological diversity

The Conference of the Parties,

Recalling its decision III/11, on the
conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity, and
reiterating the importance of agricultural biological diversity as containing
the most vital elements of biological diversity essential for food and
livelihood security,

Emphasizing the need for a worldwide
reorientation towards sustainable agriculture which balances production and
conservation objectives in such a way as to meet the needs of expanding
populations while maintaining an ecological balance,

Welcoming the statement presented by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations at the fourth meeting of
the Conference of the Parties, regarding its offer to provide further technical
assistance to Parties in the implementation of the three objectives of the
Convention, in particular, in response to decision III/11,

Further welcoming the establishment by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture, of an intergovernmental Technical Working Group for Animal Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture, the first meeting of which is scheduled for
September 1998,

1. Endorses recommendation III/4 of the
Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and,
noting the progress made so far in initiating the development of the multi-year
work programme on agricultural biological diversity called for in decision
III/11, highlights the importance of speeding up implementation and requests
full support of the Convention's instruments in such efforts;

2. Reiterates its wish, in accordance with
paragraph 2 of decision III/11, that FAO maintain its coordinating role in the
assessment of ongoing activities and instruments at regional and international
levels and requests the Executive Secretary, in collaboration with FAO, to
further consult with Parties, Governments and relevant organizations and bodies
in the finalization of this review with a view to making available a clear and
well structured report, well in advance of the fourth meeting of SBSTTA, that
will facilitate the work of SBSTTA;

3. Requests the Executive Secretary to
reiterate the invitation to Parties and Governments for further national
submissions, if possible in electronic form, on ongoing activities, existing
instruments and lessons learnt in the area of agricultural biological diversity,
in the light of paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 and annex 2 of decision III/11;

4. Suggests that Governments, funding
agencies, the private sector and non-governmental organizations should join
efforts to identify and promote sustainable agricultural practices, integrated
landscape management of mosaics of agriculture and natural areas, as well as
appropriate farming systems that will reduce possible negative impacts of
agricultural practices on biological diversity and enhance the ecological
functions provided by biological diversity to agriculture. In this regard,
invites Parties, Governments and organizations to begin the
process of conducting case-studies based on socio-economic and ecological
analyses of different land-use management options and to provide such
case-studies to the Secretariat.

5. Decides to expand the focus placed on
soil micro-organisms in annex 3 of decision III/11 to address all soil biota, as
outlined in paragraph 8 of SBSTTA recommendation III/4, and invites Parties,
Governments and international organizations to conduct case-studies on soil
biota in agriculture and to provide them to the Executive Secretary for
compilation in the form of a synthesis report for consideration by SBSTTA;

6. Requests Parties, Governments and
international organizations, in particular FAO, in the light of paragraphs 9, 15
(a) and 15 (m) of decision III/11 and of part A of decision IV/1 to begin to
provide inputs on the development and application of methodologies for
assessments of agricultural biological diversity and tools for identification
and monitoring, including: criteria and indicators for agricultural biological
diversity, including those addressing farming systems and agricultural
ecosystems; rapid assessment techniques; the identification of underlying
causes behind the loss of biological diversity; and the identification of
incentives to overcome constraints and enhance the conservation and sustainable
use of agricultural biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of
benefits;

7. Requests SBSTTA at its fourth meeting, in
accordance with paragraph 7 of decision III/11 and decision IV/16, to develop
and provide to the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting, advice and
recommendations for the development of the first phase, and subsequent phases,
of the multi-year work programme on agricultural biological diversity;

8. Welcomes the close cooperation
established between the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
and FAO and, with reference to decision II/15 and decision III/11, paragraph 19,
of the Conference of the Parties, urges that the momentum in the
intergovernmental negotiations of the revision of the International Undertaking
on Plant Genetic Resources in harmony with the Convention should be maintained
with a view to its timely conclusion before the end of 1999;

9. Requests the Executive Secretary, as a
complement to decision III/17, paragraph 6, to apply for observer status in the
Committee on Agriculture of the World Trade Organization for the purpose of
representing the Convention in meetings whose agendas may influence
implementation of decision III/11 and related decisions of the Conference of the
Parties;

10. Requests the Executive Secretary to
report to the Conference of the Parties on the impact of trade liberalization on
the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity in
consultation with relevant bodies, such as the World Trade Organization;

11. Reiterating the precautionary approach,
requests SBSTTA, to consider and assess, in light of contributions to be
provided by Parties, Governments and organizations, whether there are any
consequences for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
from the development and use of new technology for the control of plant gene
expression, such as that described in United States patent 5723765, and to elaborate
scientifically based advice to the Conference of the Parties. Moreover, urges
Parties, Governments as well as civil society and public and private
institutions to consider the precautionary approach in its application;

12. With reference to paragraphs 21 and 22
of decision III/11, draws the attention of international funding agencies,
including the financial mechanism, of the need to support capacity-building in
the development and implementation of this work programme;

13. Welcomes the efforts being made by the
financial mechanism in the development of its operational policy framework on
agricultural biological diversity and urges the early completion of this
framework, fully in line with decision III/11, so as to provide effective
implementation support to Parties and Governments in all agricultural
ecosystems.